2009 To Do Wine List


A checklist of fun new "wine" things to try this year

Excerpts from the Wall Street Journal | By Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher

Happy new year! Here's a checklist of things to do this year that will make wine more fun, whether you are just beginning your wine journey or are far along the road.

Try a Wine From a Different Country

A country whose wines are new to you. Have you ever had a wine from Croatia? Uruguay? Georgia? Next time you see one, grab it. They're out there.

Open a Sparkler at Home for No Reason at All

There are so many reasonably priced bubblies these days that they can be cheaper than ordinary Merlot or Chardonnay. Put a bottle in the fridge and open it for dinner. Yes, then it will seem like a special occasion, but that's the point.

Take Notes on a Fine Wine From Beginning to End

Make a notation of the time when you open it, then drink slowly and take notes throughout. Whether it's a fine white Burgundy or a good Cabernet, the wine will change with time, air and warmth. When you go back over your notes, you might be amazed at the changes. It's like pictures of children: You know they've grown up, but it's only when you look at the old pictures that you realize just how much.

Have a Sauternes

This -- the real thing, from France's Bordeaux region -- is the classic sweet wine. Yes, it will most likely cost you some real money, but, fortunately, they do come in half bottles. Still, Sauternes is under appreciated and therefore, in its own way, a good deal. There are few more life-affirming wines, especially with some age, and even that half bottle could last several nights, making it more cost-effective.

Have a Blind Tasting

Maybe you want to go whole-hog and invite over a few friends and ask everyone to bring, say, a 2005 Bordeaux under $20 in a brown-paper lunch bag. But doing that at home with your significant other and just two bottles of the same kind of wine is also fun and instructive. See our column about doing this.

Visit the Closest Winery to Your Home

It's amazing to us how many people haven't visited the winery next-door. Now that there are commercial wineries in all 50 states, there is likely to be a winery near you. If you have visited the closest winery, drop in to the second-closest, and so on. You'll be amazed at the diversity of wines and styles in your own neck of the woods.

Attend a Winemaker's Dinner at a Restaurant

Keep your eyes open and you will find plenty. They are not only fun, but often can be a very good value. Sometimes wine stores sponsor these, too.

Have Fun With Stemware

Experiment. Try a good sparkling wine in a regular wine glass. Pour the same fine wine into two different kinds or sizes of glasses. We all have our "everyday" glasses, but they can get boring if you don't watch out. Engage all of your senses when you drink wine.


Go Crazy on a Wine Pairing for Dinner Some Night

Try a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with steak, a Ripasso from Italy with Southern fried chicken, a sparkling Shiraz with barbecue. Just smash outside that box and see what happens.

Try an Older White

Many fine whites age beautifully, from white Burgundy to Riesling. Well-cared-for Muscadet can be beautiful for more than a decade. If you have a local merchant who offers well-tended older whites, or know of a restaurant that offers them, try one. If not, buy a good white and hide it somewhere for a while. (You can check this off if you've put a good white away somewhere and haven't touched it by Dec. 31.)

Try a Type of Wine You Think You Don't Like

Are you sure you don't like German wine? Have you tried today's Rioja? If there's any type of wine you haven't tasted for at least two years, get a bottle. Things change, including your taste.

Get a New Corkscrew

C'mon, we know that old corkscrew still kind of works and you've been through so much with it. We, too, hold on to corkscrews way too long. But give in and get a new one.

Serve a Dessert Wine to Guests

Maybe your friends don't think they like dessert wines and maybe you don't, either. But try an Icewine from Canada or a Muscat from the U.S. or something else along those lines (serve with fruit, nuts or cookies) and watch the wine disappear.

Shatter Your Price Limit

At least once this year, whether at a store or a restaurant, go above your usual limit for wine if there is a bottle that looks especially interesting to you. And the opposite applies as well: If you really believe there are no good wines under a certain price, try one.